Real Madrid got the job done. Athletic Club at San Mames is one of the most difficult fixtures in LaLiga for any team, as the Lions took down both Sevilla and Atletico Madrid at this venue in recent weeks.
So Los Blancos winning 1-0 is a huge accomplishment. This team has what it takes to win LaLiga, even if some of their destiny is out of their hands.
Here are the takeaways from an ugly, heart-filled win in Basque Country.
Real Madrid keep showing the fight of champions
As I wrote before the match, I don’t think Zinedine Zidane telling the players that he is stepping down from Real Madrid at the end of the season will hurt the team in the title race. In fact, I think we will see this team fight as hard as possible, especially the old guard, for Zinedine Zidane to leave on top as the champion of Spain again.
We did indeed see that fighting spirit on display at San Mames. The likes of Luka Modric and Karim Benzema snapped into every tackle. Young players like Eder Militao and Miguel Gutierrez gave it their all. And even Nacho Fernandez came up huge with the winning goal, assisted by another member of the “old guard” in clutch defensive midfielder Casemiro.
You need to make your own luck to win the title in a race as close as this one. And that’s exactly what Real Madrid did on Sunday afternoon.